ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the role of Behavioral Health and Performance Group (BHP) as it relates to astronaut assessment and selection. The assessment and selection of aviators is an evolving science. Individuals selected and trained as military aviators have been sought after by a variety of aerospace communities ranging from commercial aviation to the astronaut community and more recently the operation of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). A selection system is a process of collecting and analysing data about job candidates to determine who is most likely to perform a job successfully. Astronaut selection occurs as needed to replace astronauts who have left the space program and to meet the requirements for the myriad technical assignments for which the Astronaut Office is responsible. Selecting astronauts is an incredibly involved process, given the demand for high performance coupled with high risks and the stressors inherent in space travel.
